Wheel for tractors and certain farming implements



D. JAMES El AL WHEEL FOR TRACTORS AND.CERTAIN FARMING IMPLEMEN'IS FiledOct. 8, 1923 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 12 1926. 1,602,492

0. JAMES ET AL I WHEEL FOR TRACTORS AND CERTAIN FARMING IMPLEMENTS FiledOct. 8, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hwenton;

,DJhmes W.H. Kendall Patented Oct. 12, 1926 WM STATES PATENT OFFICE,-

DANIEL JAMES, or nssE noN, AND WILLIAM KENDELL, or LUBECK, VIC'IOBIA,

AUSTRALIA.

F OR TRACTORS AND CERTAIN FARMING IMPLEMENTS.

Application filed October 8, 1e23, Serial No. 681 105, and in AustraliaMay 29, 1923.

This invention relates to improvements in and connected with wheelsoftractors and certain farinimplements such as cultivators, combinedseed drills and cultivators and the like, nt is directed moreparticularly to the wheels o f farin tractors.

The primary ohjectof the invention is to provide improvements inandrelatingto the wheels of ram tractors whereby the mm in chines can beoperated satisfactorily"even under adverse climatic conditions such asexist in wet seasons or after heavy rain when the soil. is rendered verysoft and is ofadhesive character.

A. further object is to provide a Wheel having an reflective surfacegrip, andhaving means whereby thefwheeljtre'ad willbe' automaticallyfreed of soil adhering thereto Whilstthe machine isat work, and theWheel tread is maintained in a relatively clean condition althoughoperating in moistland ad hesive soils.

A. still further object is to provide animproved wheel constructionassociated with a cleaning or scraper attachment [for farm tractorswhereby greatly improved seed-bed conditions w'illhe obtained. Thisvresult is obtained by eliminatingthat"damage to a lield surface whichis now occasioned byjthe operation of tractors in wet seasonsor" afterrain, when wheel track depressions are made in the field and soil; whichadhered to the wheels, is compressed into said depressions under theWeight of the machine.

lVith these and other ohj'ects in view the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement hereinafter fullydescribed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Wherein:Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of a tractor wheel representative ofthe invention, and having applied the'reto cleaning or scraperattachments,of preferred form.

Figure 2 is an end fele'vationof the wheel and its associated cleaningor scraper attachments seen in Figure'l.

Figure 3 is a view in sideelevation illustrating'the use withtheimproved wheel of cleaning or scrapendevic'es of alternative design.

"Figure 4 isa diagrammatic View illustrative of ,the Wheel track effectproduced in la Themet e nfif e s securedfto the interior surfaces oftheifiat cultivated field by existing types of Wheels whlen' a-tr'actorhas been operating in soft Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing theimproved seedbed conditions obtained by the use of tractor wheelsandwheel-attachments accordingto the invention.- i

In these views; 9 designates a" wheel of a lfai'ni tractor having itsrim'or tyre Composed of a'p'luralitv er annular elements 10 ofcorresponding diameter and arranged in pa-ral l'elrelationship. i

The rim elements are in the form of an n-ular bands" constructedfromfiat metal, and in the preferred" constructioiras illustrated in thedrawings there areemployed three of said anniilar netallic band s; eachof which 'is approximately four inche sin Width, while each of theinterveningclearance spaces 11 1S of-approximately three h in fi g r byproviding a when .h l g Irim widti of approximately eighteen inches. J I

, The rim elements 1.0 are secured together ii-ed distances apart bymeans of a 4 transversely disposed connecting I fi nction a distancepieces. The connecting bars 12-";a'1e eenstraetd of Wrought or castmetal(preferably'i-steel), and each isiformed with two' U-shaped memhers jl3having a widtlicorrespondingto that series o of j said clearance spaces11; with they registenwlienfitted to the elements bars 12* are rigidlymetal rim elements loy means of 1 rivets V or other approvedfastenin'gs, and they are 'of such ni' mherand spaced equidistantlvtoprovide'efiective bracing and reinforcement whereby the Wheel will havetherequisite 'degrjee of d urahility; i

[:The spacesl lhetween therim elements l0 and the spaces' li between thetransverse connecting bars ,12 "provide ample clearance :fortheltreepassage otso l wh ch s initially broken and then removed fromthe exterior {Theldepthiof said U-shaped v members l3 or scraper deviceand without metal to metal contact of the rim elements and scraperdevice such as would produce undue friction.

These cleaning or scraper devices are preferably as illustrated inFigures 1 and 2, wherein 15 designates metal rods of segmental designmounted stationarily one in each of the clearance spaces 11. Each cleaning or scraper device has a portion 16 which is of round section and arear flat member 17 of greater width, but nevertheless of less widththan that of the clearance space 11 so as to avoid possibility ofcontact with either of the opposing edges of the rim elements or withthe opposing surfaces of said U- shaped members 13.

The forward end portion of each of the cleaning or scraper devices hasan extension 18 which is secured to a rod or arm 19 afiixed to thechassis and extending transversely in advance of the wheel, while therear end portion of each of said cleaning or scraper devices has anextension 20 that is ailixed to a transverse bar or rod 21 supportedfrom a rear part of the chassis and disposed rearwardly of the wheel.

The rear ends of said cleaning or scraper devices are preferablyarranged closer to the ground level than are the forward ends of saiddevicessee Figure 1.

It will be understood that said cleaning or scraper attachments couldextend completely around the wheel, if so desired.

Each rim element 10 is provided with tread grip devices 22 which arepreferably of the well-known spade type, and the grips on theintermediate rim element are positioned midway between the correspondinggrips secured to the outer and inner rim elements.

In the operation under dry weather conditions of a tractor equipped withwheels as described, the combined widths of the rim elements 10 provideadequate surface grip and the wheels by reason of the series oftransverse connecting bars 12-functioning as braceswill be found to berigid and durable. When the tractor is working in wet, soft and adhesivesoil, (conditions which obtain in wet seasons and following heavyrainfall), the advantages of our improvements are made apparent.slippage of the wheels is avoided while the soil which adheres to therim in the form of a false tyre is initially broken centrally of theclearance spaces 11 by the forward portions of the stationary cleaningor scraper devices 15. The continued movement of the wheel about saidcleaning or scraper devices causes the flat rearward portions 17 thereofto further break the adhering soil at points adjacent to the edges ofsaid clearance spaces, and simultaneously disintegrate the soil whichpasses through the cleaance spaces 11 and 14; and over the edges of saidrim elements 10.

The breakage of the false rim or tyre of adhering soil by the cleaningor scraper devices 15, acting between the rim elements 10 interiorly ofthe wheel perimeter, in the manner described results in the loosening ofthe soil carried by the rim elements themselves, and the exteriorsurfaces thereof are maintained relatively clean, even when the tractorworking under most adverse conditions for power haulage of farmingimplements or machinery.

The ordinary field effect of a tractor working in wet adhesive soil isdepicted by the diagrammatic view Figure 4. Depressions A correspondingto the width of the wheel rims are initially formed in the field, andfalse tyres of soil that adhere to the wheels are compressed under theweight of the tractor, into such depressions thereby form-- ing an upperand relatively hard layer a of soil in each of said wheel depressions.To obtain a seed-bed for satisfactory crop production under theseconditions, it becomes necessary to scarify the soil to a depth belowthe compression soil layers a in the wheel depressions, or alternativelyto sow the grain at depth below said layers a which frequently is toodeep for the obtaiir ment of desired cultivation results.

The field effect of a tractor working in wet and adhesive soil, butequipped with wheels each having a plurality of spaced rim elements andassociated cleaning or scraper devices arranged and functioning ashereinbefore explained, is illustrated by the diagrammatic view Figure5. The elements of the rim initially form depressions B, but the soilthat is removed from the rim automatically and is disintegrated by thecleaning or scraper devices during the travel of the tractor isdeposited loosely into and about said depressions, being indicated by7), and satisfactory seed-bed conditions are ensured.

For use with a sectionally constructed and braced wheel for a tractor,as hereinbefore described, the cleaning or scraper devices operatinginteriorly of the wheel perimeter may be of flexible character, as isshown by Figures 3 and l, wherein 23 designates a chain having itsopposite ends pivotally at tached to rods 2-1 and 25 which are carriedby said rods or bars 19 and 21 that extend transversely in advance ofand rcarwardly of the wheel, respectively. Said chain is accommodatedwithin the ill-shaped n'ieinbers 13 formed on the transverse bars 13rigidh' connecting the rim elements 10.

lVheel cleaning or scraper devices 26. fitted extcriorly of the wheelbut having their operating ends arranged interiorly of the wheelperimeter (see Figure 3), may be employed, and these are detachablyclamped to the transverse bar or rod 21 arranged rearwardly of theWheel, said cleaning or scraper devices having their operative endsprojecting into the clearance spaces 11.

Although our improvements are directed specially to wheels of farmtractors, it will be understood that the same may be applied to thewheels of certain farming implements such as cult-ivators and combinedgrain drills and cultivators, whose satisfactory operation in wet andadhesive soils is to a material degree dependent upon the maintenance ofthe wheels in a relatively clean condition by automatic removal ofadhering soil without necessitating stoppage of cultivating operationsfor the purpose.

The term tractor in the appended claims is, therefore, to be understoodto em brace wheels of cultivating implements of the character indicated.

What we do claim is 1. In a wheel for tractors, rim elements arranged inconcentric and axially spaced relation, and fixedly supported meansengaging in the space between and extending transversely of the wheel inthe direction of travel thereof and located below the axis of and withinthe perimeter of said rim ele- I ments, said means being the rotation ofthe wheel to release soil from the wheel which is picked up by the wheelduring the rotation thereof and deposit the same substantially in thesame place from where it was picked up.

2. In a wheel for tractors, wheel elements operative through having theperiphery arranged in a horizontal plane, rigid bars disposedtransversely of and oonnectingthe rim elements in concentric spacedrelation, and a rigid bar arranged in the space between and iii--tersecting the rim elements and interposed between the axis of the wheeland the ground for the purposes specified.

3. In a wheel for tractors, a plurality of annular rim elements arrangedin parallel spaced relation and rigidly connected by a series oftransverse spacing bars formed with inwardly extending U shaped portionsarranged in line with the spaces between the rim elements, and acleaning member of curved shape to conform with the curvature of theperiphery of the annular rim elements adapted to be fixedly supported atthe opposite ends exteriorly of the wheel perimeter and arranged withinthe space between the rim elements and said U shaped portions of thebars to intersect substantially a quarter section of the wheels.

4. In a wheel for tractors according to claim 4, wherein the wheelcleaning member consists of a bar having a portion of roundcross-section to constitute the front end and a portion of rectangularcross-section to constitute the rear end of said member.

In testimony whereof We aifix our signatures.

DANIEL JAMES. IVILLIAM H. KENDELL.

